Holy Crap, It's Cold!
This morning Roger heard the following forecast: The current temperature was 4 degrees. The high today would be 9 degrees. It was supposed to be really cold ALL WEEK, and then on Friday, it was going to get even colder! Can I please go back into my cave now?
I spent today a lot like I spent yesterday. Here's what I did on new year's day: I slept late. Made a cup of English Breakfast tea. Sat around and sipped it. Bundled up and put on about ten layers of clothing, including two pairs of jeans. Took the dog out for a long winter's walk. We went for over an hour. I watched her for signs of discomfort, but the cold doesn't seem to bother her. She climbs over snow banks, buries her snout down into the snow to try to dig up god knows what---her favorite thing is chomping on turdcicles--and continues trotting down the icy street with a spring in her step.
The cold doesn't get to me either, since I am wearing twice my weight in clothing. I shuffle over the snow like a giant weebil. When everything is so white and frigid, the world is blanked out and it's easy to lose a sense of time. Cheri and I are just specks in a big cold void that doesn't contain anything and can't be measured by anything.
My little Nokia cell phone holds music, and has its own speaker, so I stick the phone in my coat pocket and listen to the tunes it shuffles for me: a delightful mash, everything from the Throwing Muses, the Smiths, Bjork, Nick Drake, Beck, the Beatles, REM, Al Green, Ariel Pink, the Verve, Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Donovan, Modest Mouse, Bob Dylan. I have found that Dylan always hits the spot in a bleak winter landscape. Today as I was walking, Englebert Humperdink began crooning, "Winter World of Love".
After the long walk, it was time for more tea and a delicious lunch of crackers and the salmon my sister sent me. Then I worked on making my first ever homemade chicken broth. Removing meat from bones exhausts me, so after I had pulled the white and dark meat off the chicken, I collapsed upstairs and watched an old Christmas show from the 70's I have on VHS, called The house without a Christmas tree.
For supper on new year's day I made a lasagna. Tonight, I made chicken noodle soup using the homemade chicken stock. The other day I made bierocks. Winter is a time to do lots of cooking, boil lots of water for tea and drink lots of wine. I've been doing all three, happily.
Yesterday evening we went to Blockbuster and picked out some movies. Last night was the kids' choice: The Water Horse, about the legend of the Loch Ness monster. Some really cool scenery of Scotland and vintage interiors in that movie. Tonight it's our choice: Gandhi. Sure it's a three hour movie, but it's snowing and there is no place to go, so who cares?
I spent today a lot like I spent yesterday. Here's what I did on new year's day: I slept late. Made a cup of English Breakfast tea. Sat around and sipped it. Bundled up and put on about ten layers of clothing, including two pairs of jeans. Took the dog out for a long winter's walk. We went for over an hour. I watched her for signs of discomfort, but the cold doesn't seem to bother her. She climbs over snow banks, buries her snout down into the snow to try to dig up god knows what---her favorite thing is chomping on turdcicles--and continues trotting down the icy street with a spring in her step.
The cold doesn't get to me either, since I am wearing twice my weight in clothing. I shuffle over the snow like a giant weebil. When everything is so white and frigid, the world is blanked out and it's easy to lose a sense of time. Cheri and I are just specks in a big cold void that doesn't contain anything and can't be measured by anything.
My little Nokia cell phone holds music, and has its own speaker, so I stick the phone in my coat pocket and listen to the tunes it shuffles for me: a delightful mash, everything from the Throwing Muses, the Smiths, Bjork, Nick Drake, Beck, the Beatles, REM, Al Green, Ariel Pink, the Verve, Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Donovan, Modest Mouse, Bob Dylan. I have found that Dylan always hits the spot in a bleak winter landscape. Today as I was walking, Englebert Humperdink began crooning, "Winter World of Love".
After the long walk, it was time for more tea and a delicious lunch of crackers and the salmon my sister sent me. Then I worked on making my first ever homemade chicken broth. Removing meat from bones exhausts me, so after I had pulled the white and dark meat off the chicken, I collapsed upstairs and watched an old Christmas show from the 70's I have on VHS, called The house without a Christmas tree.
For supper on new year's day I made a lasagna. Tonight, I made chicken noodle soup using the homemade chicken stock. The other day I made bierocks. Winter is a time to do lots of cooking, boil lots of water for tea and drink lots of wine. I've been doing all three, happily.
Yesterday evening we went to Blockbuster and picked out some movies. Last night was the kids' choice: The Water Horse, about the legend of the Loch Ness monster. Some really cool scenery of Scotland and vintage interiors in that movie. Tonight it's our choice: Gandhi. Sure it's a three hour movie, but it's snowing and there is no place to go, so who cares?
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holy crap! you have that movie?? i have looked for and remembered that movie ever since i saw it! identified greatly with the girl in the movie, or thought one of my sisters was her. or am i totally not remembering the same movie you mentioned? love this post. you makin' me hungry, with all your cooking and sipping!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I found that movie at a used CD store that also had used VHS tapes. And I was like "Whoa! --It's that movie!" The one with the bitter, grief-stricken father who is a total ass to his daughter, Addie. Set in a little farming community in Nebraska. I was happy to have run across it. That movie made a big impression on me. I think there was another one done in a similar style, about some mean guy who lived all alone.
ReplyDeletejason robards as the father? that's the one i remember. and the little girl sat at the kitchen table making christmas decorations for a tree that wasn't there? yes, that movie made a big impression on me also.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jason Robards was the dad and Mildred Natwick was the grandma. They have that show on DVD on Amazon.com, plus the others in the series.
ReplyDeleteThe actress who played Addie, Lisa Lucas, left the following comment on the customer reviews on Amazon:
Hi, I am Addie Mills (Lisa Lucas)and I just wanted to thank all of you who wrote such warm and complimentary reviews about "The House Without a Christmas Tree". What touched me most is the lasting impression the show made on so many and I feel very privileged to hold a place in their memory and their holiday tradition. It was a wonderful experience working on such a meaningful project and with such talented people. Actually, we did four specials all together. One for Thanksgiving called "The Holiday Treasure", for Easter called "The Easter Promise" and Valentines day (believe it or not) called "Addie and the King of Hearts." All but the Valentines Day show are available on video and I believe all four books are still out there. It's nice to see that good quality and heartwarming emotional drama can still be appreciated. Thanks again. (No, I'm not acting anymore but I did go onto roles in "An Unmarried Woman" with Jill Clayburgh, "Turning Point" with Shirley Maclaine and some wonderful television films like "The Adams Chronicles","A Perfect Match" and "The Migrants" Special hi to Traci in Canada. Yes,I remember spending many a cold day in your school during filming!
just when I'm starting to warm up to dogs you have to go and blog about turdcicles
ReplyDeleteWow, I loved that movie as a child. It also made a big impression on me.
ReplyDeletei dont know this movie!!
ReplyDeleteHmmm...usually if I saw something as a kid, you have twice the memory of it that I do. But who knows what you were up to. You were probably in your room trying to bring in a decent radio station.
ReplyDeleteThese comments are great! I have to see this movie! I love that the actress that was in it wrote a comment on Amazon--too awesome! I like that Julie focused on the turdcicle part of your post. Lovely post and great new picture of you!
ReplyDelete